500,000 warnings given by extreme weather alert service developed by former council official

Over 500,000 emergency alerts were seen by people since Sunday using an extreme weather alert service developed by a former council official.

Staff in 11 local authorities issued over 620 individual alerts during Storm Ophelia, which were then shared with the public using the MapAlerter.com website which was designed by digital mapper Brendan Cunningham, formerly of Kilkenny County Council.

Outdoor staff working in the 11 council areas using the system can issue alerts from the field and these are then forwarded to people in the affected area. The system also helped staff at council emergency management centres to follow progress on each incident location on an interactive map and see in real time where damage has occurred.